Red Bug with red and blue wings September 16, 2009 Red Bug with red and blue wings I happened to see this bug in my backyard. I had never seen one of these before and its color caught my attention. I tried to identify this bug by searching through the internet but wasn’t succesful. Can you help? Lorn Aguadilla, Puerto RIco

Net Winged Beetle

Hi Lorn, We believe this is a Net Winged Beetle in the family Lycidae. WE are hoping to get some expert opinion on this and we would advise you to check back on the posting for the next several days to see if there are any updates. Our professional obligations have greatly increased with the beginning of a new academic year and we might not be able to email you any updates directly.

Please identify these bugs August 18, 2009 This summer I came across these two bugs and I haven’t been able to identify them. Could you email me info. Thank you. Vanoy Ballinger, Texas, June 2009

Mating Net-Winged Beetles

Hi Vanoy, Though they look mothlike, there are actually beetles. Net-Winged Beetles are in the family Lycidae, and we are relatively certain your specimens are in the genus Lycus. BugGuide has two similar looking species, and we are not certain if your beetles are Lycus arizonensis or Lycus fernandezi. BugGuide also indicates that adults eat nectar and honeydew.

Mystery larvae (or pupae?) Wed, Nov 12, 2008 at 7:55 AM I was visiting one of our local natural areas and I found these dense clusters of insects on the lower stems of several woody plants in a small area. They didn’t move at all when prodded. They were found in a mixed hardwood/pine woods with dense leaf litter on the ground. I haven’t done a lot of research on what these might be, but I’m wondering if this is some sort of beetle? G.P. Alachua County, Florida

Beetle Larvae

Hi G.P., We believe these are Netwing Beetle Larvae in the family Lycidae. There is an image on BugGuide that looks quite close. We want to get an opinion from Eric Eaton on this curiosity.

Daniel: Before you ask: I suspect that the beetle larvae may be of the pleasing fungus beetle family Erotylidae rather than the net-wing beetles. I could very well be wrong, of course…. Eric

“Bug” ID Hello, My name is Ernest Mendez, and I vacation in the Southwest, digital camera ever at the ready. On my last trip to New Mexico, I visited my usual haunts—Rockhound and Spring Canyon State Parks—and came across these two hitherto unknown (to me) species of bugs…. Can you tell me what they are…and whatever else you can tell me about them? I’ve been trying to find info about them on the web, but it’s not easy. The closest I’ve been able to get has been the Bangolore beetle (for the “long-nosed” black one). Help, Ernesto L. Mendez

Hi Ernesto, The orange and black couple are mating Netwing Beetles, Lycus arizonensis. Adults feed on nectar and honeydew. Your long-nosed black beetle is a Weevil. Weevils are the largest family of beetles in the world. We believe it is the Agave Billbug, Scyphophorus acupunctatus.

This bug’s identity is bugging us Dear What’s That Bug – I wonder if you can help me and my daughter, Charlotte, identify the bug in the attached photographs. We live in Phuket, Thailand and these pics were taken in the slightly damp kitchen of my ground floor office building, which backs tightly onto a large area of forested hills. Any ideas? I look forward to your reply. Simon J Hand Phuket Post

Hi Simon, Exotica can sometimes be very difficult. We believe this is a Firefly Larva, or possibly a Netwing Beetle Larva. We will contact Eric Eaton to see what his opinion is. Eric Eaton wrote in: “The firefly larva from Thailand is actually an ADULT female Demosis species of net-winged beetle (family Lycidae). They are known commonly as trilobite beetles. Nice work just getting in the neighborhood on that one!”